An obligate parasite, or holoparasite, is a parasitic organism that cannot complete its life-cycle without exploiting a suitable host.
Part of the Andes mountain range, Aconcagua is the second highest of the Seven Summits, behind only Mount Everest in Asia. At 22,837 feet (6,961 meters), not only is it the highest mountain in South America, it is the tallest peak in all of the Americas as well as the Southern and Western Hemispheres.
The highest peak in the contiguous U.S. is Mount Whitney at 14,505 feet, located within the Sierra Nevada in California. California mountain regions were formed millions of years ago during major geologic movements, though the earth continues to move even inches per day in some parts of California as new mountains slowly form.